The invention relates to a cladding device for the pond of a swimming pool or the like comprised of a slab as well as of side walls made of concrete or the like.
This invention relates to the field of the manufacture and/or renovation of a pond, in particular that of a swimming pool, namely a private swimming pool, an aquarium or the like.
There are already known such ponds, namely implanted at the level of an excavation, and defined by a slab bordered by side walls, such a pond being generally made of concrete or the like.
This pond is usually completed with a cladding of a waterproof type that covers the concrete and is aimed at impeding water from leaking out of this pond. In a complementary way, this cladding can also contribute to the esthetic nature of said pond by ensuring an enhancement of the latter.
Thus, it is known to carry out such a cladding by applying, through gluing, the pieces of a filing or mosaic on the concrete of said pond. In this respect one should note that such an embodiment results into a particularly high cost price of such a pond. In addition, the glue capable of ensuring the adhesion of the tiles or the mosaic suffers from degradations in the course of time, which causes water to leak at the level of the concrete.
Another embodiment consists in applying on the concrete of the pond a synthetic waterproof coating formed, e.g., by a resin layer spread over this concrete. The spreading of this resin is a tiresome work and often results into a non-constant thickness, even lacks of it at the level of the applied layer.
Such a coating can also be formed by a film in the form of rolls of a determined width, which are unwound over the surface of the concrete of the pond and which are welded edge to edge, in order to achieve the tight nature. In the course of time, the coating weakens in particular at the level of these welding seams.
The non-homogeneity of the thickness of the resin layer, the lacks of it at the level of the latter as well as the weakening of the welding seams result into leaks that are particularly difficult to be localized and which are difficult to be repaired.
The present invention is aimed at coping with the drawbacks of the cladding devices of the state of technique.
To this end, this invention relates to a cladding device for the pond of a swimming pool or the like comprised of a slab as well as of side walls made of concrete or the like, characterized in that said cladding device is formed of tightly juxtaposed glass plates applied through mounting means, against the slab and the side walls of said pond, on the inner side of the latter.
According to an embodiment the mounting means are defined by a frame, on the one hand, defined by an assembly of profile bars taking the shape of an angle iron, on the other hand, inside which a glass plate is inserted and tightly fixed and, furthermore, provided or designed so as to be capable of co-operating with means allowing fixing it at the level of the slab and/or of a side wall of said pond.
According to another embodiment the mounting means are defined by a frame formed of an assembly of profile bars, namely of a metallic type, fixed to the slab and/or to a side wall of the pond, against this frame being inserted said glass plates.
Another feature consists in that two adjacent plates are juxtaposed at the level of a profile bar extending longitudinally with respect to the juxtaposed edges of said plates.
In fact, two adjacent plates, which clad as the case may be, the slab or a side wall, are inserted above a profile bar fixed to said slab or to said side wall.
However, at the level of the union between the slab and a side wall, the frame includes at least one profile bar taking the shape of an angle iron against which is inserted a first glass plate cladding said slab and defining, in combination with said angle iron, means for encasing a second glass plate cladding a side wall.
According to another feature, the mounting means also include at least one fixing organ taking the form of a fastening lug, on the one hand, made integral with a profile bar of the frame and, on the other hand, designed so as to be capable of cooperating with the edge of at least one glass plate, at the upper portion of the latter, in order to fasten and/or to maintain such a plate at the level of a side wall of the pond.
According to another feature, between two juxtaposed glass plates is defined a gap into which is inserted a fir-type seal coated with a silicone-type seal.
An additional feature consists in that the mounting means also include a compressive seal inserted against said profile bar and including means forming suction pads designed so as to be capable of co-operating with at least one glass plate, in order to ensure an immobilization of the latter on said profile bar.
Another feature is that each glass plate is defined by a superposition of at least two glass plates, preferably separated by a reinforcing element, namely a shielded, armored or laminated glass plate.
According to an additional feature, such a glass plate is of a transparent type and completed with an enameled or lacquered-glass film, layer or plate having, as the case may be, particular patterns and/or a particular color.
Another feature is that the cladding device includes optical means capable of creating light effects or of transmitting a particular illumination light, such means being arranged at the level of the slab or of a side wall of the pond even interposed between the latter and said cladding device.
In fact, such a glass plate can be completed with an anti-slip coating.
The advantages of this invention reside in that the cladding device is formed of juxtaposed glass plates.
In this respect, one should note that glass is a material that is particular resistant to chemical (cleaning and maintenance products for a swimming pool or the like . . . ) and physical attacks (maintenance equipment objects of any kind entering into contact, whether intentionally or not with the glass . . . ).
In addition, cladding a pond by means of a glass material considerably facilitates the maintenance of a swimming pool or the like, namely because this material does not require particular precautions to be taken or a specific equipment to be used to clean it.
One should note that these glass plates are inserted against a frame comprised of profile bars, this through means authorizing an easy and individual removal of each plate, namely with a view to its replacing.
The present invention will be better understood when reading the following description, with reference to the attached drawings.